Long-Term Effect of Rigid Foot Orthosis in Children Older Than Six Years With Flexible Flat Foot

Objective To evaluate the long-term effect of a custom-made rigid foot orthosis (RFO) in children older than 6 years with pes planus (flat foot). Methods Medical records of 42 children diagnosed with flexible pes planus who were fitted with RFOs based on the inverted technique and underwent more than four consecutive radiological studies were reviewed. Resting calcaneal stance position (RCSP), anteroposterior talocalcaneal angle, lateral talocalcaneal angle, lateral talometatarsal angle, and calcaneal pitch were initially measured in both feet to evaluate alignment. Followup clinical and radiological evaluations were then performed at 12–18, 24–30, 36–42, and ≥48 months after RFO application. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate significant differences. Results Significant improvements in all radiological indicators and significant progression of RCSP toward the corrective direction were observed after RFO application relative to baseline measurements. Conclusion According to our findings, RFO can induce significant improvements in calcaneus-related radiographic indices and subsequently improve talus-related radiologic indices

Methylsulfonylmethane Suppresses Breast Cancer Growth by Down-Regulating STAT3 and STAT5b Pathways

Breast cancer is the most aggressive form of all cancers, with high incidence and mortality rates. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the molecular mechanism by which methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) inhibits breast cancer growth in mice xenografts. MSM is an organic sulfur-containing natural compound without any toxicity. In this study, we demonstrated that MSM substantially decreased the viability of human breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. MSM also suppressed the phosphorylation of STAT3, STAT5b, expression of IGF-1R, HIF-1α, VEGF, BrK, and p-IGF-1R and inhibited triple-negative receptor expression in receptor-positive cell lines. Moreover, MSM decreased the DNA-binding activities of STAT5b and STAT3, to the target gene promoters in MDA-MB 231 or co-transfected COS-7 cells. We confirmed that MSM significantly decreased the relative luciferase activities indicating crosstalk between STAT5b/IGF-1R, STAT5b/HSP90α, and STAT3/VEGF. To confirm these findings in vivo, xenografts were established in Balb/c athymic nude mice with MDA-MB 231 cells and MSM was administered for 30 days. Concurring to our in vitro analysis, these xenografts showed decreased expression of STAT3, STAT5b, IGF-1R and VEGF. Through in vitro and in vivo analysis, we confirmed that MSM can effectively regulate multiple targets including STAT3/VEGF and STAT5b/IGF-1R. These are the major molecules involved in tumor development, progression, and metastasis. Thus, we strongly recommend the use of MSM as a trial drug for treating all types of breast cancers including triple-negative cancers

Differential phenotypic characteristics of heterogeneous cell population in the rabbit periosteum

Background Periosteum and periosteum-derived progenitor cells have demonstrated the potential for stimulative applications in repair of various musculoskeletal tissues. It has been found that the periosteum contains mesenchymal progenitor cells that are capable of differentiating into either osteoblasts or chondrocytes, depending on the culture conditions. Anatomically, the periosteum is a heterogeneous multilayered membrane, consisting of an outer fibrous and an inner cambium layer. The present study was designed to elucidate the phenotypic characteristics of fibrous and cambium layer cells in vitro

Salinomycin simultaneously induces apoptosis and autophagy through generation of reactive oxygen species in osteosarcoma U2OS cells

Salinomycin, a polyether antibiotic, acts as a highly selective potassium ionophore. It was reported to anticancer activity on various cancer cell lines. In this study, salinomycin was examined on apoptosis and autophagy through generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in osteosarcoma U2OS cells. Apoptosis, autophagy, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ROS were analyzed using flow cytometry. Also, expressions of apoptosis- and autophagy-related proteins were determined by western blotting. As a result, salinomycin triggered apoptosis of U2OS cells, which was accompanied by change of MMP and cleavage of caspases-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. And salinomycin increased the expression of autophagy-related protein and accumulation of acidic vesicular organelles (AVO). Salinomycin-induced ROS production promotes both apoptosis and autophagy, as evidenced by the result that treatment of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, attenuated both apoptosis and autophagy. In addition, inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3 MA) enhanced the salinoymcin-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggested that salinomycin-induced autophagy, as a survival mechanism, might be a potential strategy through ROS regulation in cancer therapy.clos

A consortium of <i>Hordeum vulgare</i> and gut microbiota against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via data-driven analysis

Despite many recent studies on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) therapeutics, the optimal treatment has yet to be determined. In this unfinished project, we combined secondary metabolites (SMs) from the gut microbiota (GM) and Hordeum vulgare (HV) to investigate their combinatorial effects via network pharmacology (NP). Additionally, we analyzed GM or barley – signalling pathways – targets – metabolites (GBSTMs) in combinatorial perspectives (HV, and GM). A total of 31 key targets were analysed via a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and JUN was identified as the uppermost target in NAFLD. On a bubble plot, we revealed that apelin signalling pathway, which had the lowest enrichment factor antagonize NAFLD. Holistically, we scrutinized GBSTM to identify key components (GM, signalling pathways, targets, and metabolites) associated with the Apelin signalling pathway. Consequently, we found that the primary GMs (Eubacterium limosum, Eggerthella sp. SDG-2, Alistipes indistinctus YIT 12060, Odoribacter laneus YIT 12061, Paraprevotella clara YIT 11840, Paraprevotella xylaniphila YIT 11841) to ameliorate NAFLD. The molecular docking test (MDT) suggested that tryptanthrin-JUN is an agonist, conversely, dihydroglycitein-HDAC5, 1,3-diphenylpropan-2-ol-NOS1, and (10[(Acetyloxy)methyl]-9-anthryl)methyl acetate-NOS2, which are antagonistic conformers in the apelin signalling pathway. Overall, these results suggest that combination therapy could be an effective strategy for treating NAFLD.</p

Genome and evolution of the shade-requiring medicinal herb Panax ginseng

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, reputed as the king of medicinal herbs, has slow growth, long generation time, low seed production and complicated genome structure that hamper its study. Here, we unveil the genomic architecture of tetraploid P. ginseng by de novo genome assembly, representing 2.98 Gbp with 59 352 annotated genes. Resequencing data indicated that diploid Panax species diverged in association with global warming in Southern Asia, and two North American species evolved via two intercontinental migrations. Two whole genome duplications (WGD) occurred in the family Araliaceae (including Panax) after divergence with the Apiaceae, the more recent one contributing to the ability of P. ginseng to overwinter, enabling it to spread broadly through the Northern Hemisphere. Functional and evolutionary analyses suggest that production of pharmacologically important dammarane-type ginsenosides originated in Panax and are produced largely in shoot tissues and transported to roots; that newly evolved P. ginseng fatty acid desaturases increase freezing tolerance; and that unprecedented retention of chlorophyll a/b binding protein genes enables efficient photosynthesis under low light. A genome-scale metabolic network provides a holistic view of Panax ginsenoside biosynthesis. This study provides valuable resources for improving medicinal values of ginseng either through genomics-assisted breeding or metabolic engineering